Vienna, 4–5 December 2025 – Meeting in their reconvened sessions in Vienna, the Commission on Narcotic Drugs (CND) and the Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice (CCPCJ) —led respectively by H.E. Ambassador Shambhu S. Kumaran of India, Chair of the sixty-eighth session of the CND, and H.E. Ambassador José Antonio Zabalgoitia of Mexico, Chair of the thirty-fourth session of the CCPCJ – took a series of decisions that will shape UNODC’s work in the years ahead – from agreeing the Office’s consolidated budget to the first endorsements of experts for the CND panel and advancing preparations for the Fifteenth United Nations Crime Congress.
Held back-to-back, with joint meetings on strategic management issues in line with Economic and Social Council decision 2011/259, the Commissions adopted a budget resolution on the consolidated budget for UNODC for the biennium 2026–2027.
The CND used its reconvened sixty-eighth session to advance discussions on the implementation of international drug policy commitments. A central milestone was the Commission’s endorsement of the first set of experts for the new CND Expert Panel, established by resolution 68/6 to strengthen the international drug control system and to support preparations for the 2029 review.
The endorsed nominees were put forward by three of the five regional groups, alongside selected experts from the Secretary-General, the International Narcotics Control Board (INCB) and the Director-General of WHO. Nominations from the Eastern European Group and the Western European and Other States Group are expected to be endorsed no later than the regular sixty-ninth session in March 2026, when the Commission will also elect the Panel’s second Co-Chair.
By confirming the first group of experts, the CND signalled a decisive move to implementation. The Panel will begin meeting in 2026 and will develop clear, actionable recommendations to enhance the implementation of the international drug control treaties and related commitments, thereby contributing to the 2029 review by the CND.
At the closing of the CND reconvened session, H.E. Ambassador Shambhu S. Kumaran, Chair of the 68th session, launched a “CND in Action – From Policy to Practice” Compendium, set out to bring the Commission’s policy commitments closer to the realities faced by practitioners on the ground. The newly released compendium showcases concrete, effective measures submitted by 37 Member States and one observer. Structured around the twelve challenges of the 2019 Ministerial Declaration, the compendium aims to support peer learning and cooperation. Ambassador Kumaran thanked all contributors and emphasized that translating policies into action is essential as the Commission charts its course toward the 2029 review.
The CND also adopted a decision tabled by Peru requesting the Secretariat to explore all options to ensure the convening of the 2026 in-person meetings of all subsidiary bodies of the Commission, as well as the implementation of the treaty-mandated functions of the International Narcotics Control Board.
Looking ahead to Abu Dhabi 2026, the CCPCJ used its reconvened thirty-fourth session to take stock of progress toward the Fifteenth United Nations Crime Congress. Building on the Commission’s recommendation of the draft General Assembly resolution on Congress preparations, delegations discussed work already under way. Member States welcomed the momentum generated so far and reaffirmed the importance of finalizing the Abu Dhabi Declaration ahead of the Congress, following the successful practice of previous Crime Congresses. With workshops, high-level events and a programme taking shape, the reconvened session underscored the CCPCJ’s role in guiding the final phase of preparations. The Commission highlighted that the Fifteenth Crime Congress will be a unique opportunity to advance global cooperation on crime prevention and criminal justice and to deliver a forward-looking declaration that sets a powerful course for the years ahead.
The upcoming sessions will be led by the newly elected leadership: H.E. Andranik Hovhannisyan of Armenia as Chair of the 69th CND session and H.E. Rüdiger Bohn of Germany as Chair of the 35th CCPCJ session.
